Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, and future. The past is used to describe things that
have already happened (e.g., earlier in the day, yesterday, last week, three years ago). The
present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are
continuous. The future tense describes things that have yet to happen (e.g., later, tomorrow,
next week, next year, three years from now).The following table illustrates the proper use of
verb tenses:
Simple Present, Simple Past ,Simple Future
I read nearly every day. Last night, I read an entire novel. I will read as much as I can this
year.
Present Continuous, Past Continuous, Future Continuous
I am reading Shakespeare at the moment.
I was reading Edgar Allan Poe last night.
I will be reading Nathaniel Hawthorne soon.
Present Perfect, Past Perfect ,Future Perfect
I have read so many books I can‘t keep count.
I had read at least 100 books by the time I was twelve.
I will have read at least 500 books by the end of the year.
Present Perfect Continuous ,Past Perfect Continuous ,Future Perfect Continuous
I have been reading since I was four years old.
I had been reading for at least a year before my sister learned to read.
I will have been reading for at least two hours before dinner tonight.
Homonyms (Page 49)
Homonyms are two words that are spelled the same and sound the same, but have different
meanings.
address (to speak to)/address (location)
air (oxygen)/air (a lilting tune)
band (a musical group)/band (a ring)
bark (a tree‘s out layer)/bark (the sound a dog makes)
current (up to date)/current (flow of water)
die (to cease living)/die (a cube marked with numbers one through six)
fair (equitable)/fair (beautiful)
kind (type)/kind (caring)
lie (to recline)/lie (to tell a falsehood)
match (to pair like items)/match (a stick for making a flame)
mean (average)/mean (not nice)
Pole (a person from Poland)/pole (a piece of metal that holds a flag)
pound (unit of weight)/pound (to beat)
ream (a pile of paper)/ream (to juice a citrus fruit)
rose (to have gotten up)/rose (a flower)
spring (a season)/spring (coiled metal)
Reported speech(Page 69)
WORK IN PROGRESS.......
Reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before.
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
present simple I like ice cream She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present
continuous I am living in London She said (that) she was living in London.
past simple I bought a car She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said
(that) she bought a car.
past
continuous
I was walking along
the street She said (that) she had been walking along the street.
present perfect I haven't seen Julie She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.
past perfect* I had taken English
lessons before She said (that) she had taken English lessons before.
will I'll see you later She said (that) she would see me later.
would* I would help, but..‖ She said (that) she would help but...
can
I can speak perfect
English She said (that) she could speak perfect English.
could* I could swim when I
was four She said (that) she could swim when she was four.
shall I shall come later She said (that) she would come later.
should* I should call my
mother She said (that) she should call her mother
might* I might be late She said (that) she might be late
must
I must study at the
weekend
She said (that) she must study at the weekend OR
She said she had to study at the weekend
ACTIVE TO PASSIVE AND PASSIVE TO ACTIVE (Page 71)
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known,
however, who or what is performing the action.Example: My bike was stolen.
In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know,
however, who did it.
Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example
shows:
Example: A mistake was made.
In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You
have made a mistake.).
Form of Passive
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)
Example: A letter was written.
When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:
the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is
dropped)
Tense Subject Verb Object
Simple Present Active: Rita writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by Rita.
Simple Past Active: Rita wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by Rita.
Present Perfect Active: Rita has written a letter.
Passive: A letter has been written by Rita.
Future I Active: Rita will write a letter.
Passive: A letter will be written by Rita.
can Active: Rita can write a letter.
Passive: A letter can be written by Rita.
Examples of Passive
Tense Subject Verb Object
Present continuous Active: Rita is writing a letter.
Passive: A letter is being written by Rita.
Past continuous Active: Rita was writing a letter.
Passive: A letter was being written by Rita.
Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter.
Passive: A letter had been written by Rita.
Future II Active: Rita will have written a letter.
Passive: A letter will have been written by Rita.
Conditional I Active: Rita would write a letter.
Passive: A letter would be written by Rita.
Conditional II Active: Rita would have written a letter.
Passive: A letter would have been written by Rita.
Passive Sentences with Two Objects
Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two
objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into
a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.
Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2
Active: Rita wrote a letter to me.
Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita.
Passive: I was written a letter by Rita.
MODAL AUXILIARIES(Page 97)
Modal Verb Expressing Example
must
Strong obligation You must stop when the traffic lights turn
red.
logical conclusion / Certainty He must be very tired. He's been working all
day long.
must not prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.
can
ability I can swim.
permission Can I use your phone please?
possibility Smoking can cause cancer.
could
ability in the past When I was younger I could run fast.
polite permission Excuse me, could I just say something?
possibility It could rain tomorrow!
may
permission May I use your phone please?
possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!
might
polite permission Might I suggest an idea?
possibility, probability I might go on holiday to Australia next year.
need not
lack of necessity/absence of
obligation
I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of
tomatoes in the fridge.
should/ought
to
50 % obligation I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a
terrible headache.
advice You should / ought to revise your lessons
logical conclusion He should / ought to be very tired. He's been
working all day long.
had better advice You 'd better revise your lessons
Forming a complex sentence with an adverb clause Page (112,113)
A complex sentence must have a principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses. The
subordinate clause may be a noun clause, an adjective clause or an adverb clause.
We can form a complex sentence by combining two simple sentences using a subordinating
conjunction like when, as, since, till, where, if, though, unless, that, lest, weather, whereas
etc.
Study the following sentences.
I went there. The door was locked.
When I went there the door was locked.
We got little rain this year. The crops have dried up.
As we got little rain this year, the crops have dried up.
He has expressed his regret. We will forget about it.
Since he has expressed his regret, we will forget about it.
You finish dressing. I will wait here.
I will wait here until you finish dressing.
There is heavy rainfall there. Grapes will not grow at such a place
Grapes will not grow where there is heavy rainfall.
It may rain. Then the match will be cancelled.
If it rains, the match will be cancelled.
ADVERB,ADVERBIAL CLAUSES AND ADVERBIAL PHRASES
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. We can form
adverbs by taking adjectives and adding the suffix ―-ly‖ (e.g. ―joyously‖, ―readily‖,
―magnanimously‖, ―bouncingly‖ etc.) Other common single word adverbs include ―very‖,
―too‖, ―well‖, ―now‖, ―then‖, ―here‖, ―there‖ etc.
A phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or adverb, is called an adverbial phrase.
A dependent (a.k.a.subordinate) clause also has its own subject and verb, and if it modifies a
verb, an adjective, or adverb, then it‘s an adverbial clause.
Examples of Adverbs
Tom Longboat did not run badly.
Tom is very tall.
The race finished too quickly.
Fortunately, Lucy recorded Tom‘s win.
Examples of Adverbial Phrases:
He drives like a maniac.
He walks dragging his left foot.
He is scornful with no mercy.
Examples of Adverbial Clauses:
She sings when she sees the Sun in the morning.
She is so happy that she skips everywhere.
DIRECT SPEECH TO INDIRECT SPEECH
Reporting of what a speaker said without quoting his exact words is called ̳Indirect Speech‘.
John said that he was writing a letter then.
To change from Indirect to Direct Speech, keep in mind all the rules of the Direct Speech in
the reverse order.
Use the reporting verb, "say" or "said to" in its correct tense.
Remove the conjuctions "that, to, if or whether etc". wherever necessary.
Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and fullstop, wherever necessary.
Put a comma before the statement.
Write the first word of the statement with capital letter.
Change the past tense into present tense wherever the repoting verb is in the past tense.
Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as found necessary.
Be careful about the order of words in the question.
The following column will enable the students to find the kind of sentence.
Indirect
(Conjunction) - Direct (Kind of Sentence)
that - Statement (or) Exclamatory sentence
to, not to - Imperative
requested + to - Begin the imperative sentence with "please"
if or whether -
Interrogative sentence (Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb +
...?)
What, When, How
etc.,
- (Wh or How + Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb + ...?)
1. Statements:
I told my mother that I wanted coffee then. (I.S.)
I said to my mother, ―I want coffee now‖. (D.S.)
Yobu told Lazar that he was lying. (I.S.)
Yobu said to Lazar, ―You are lying‖. (D.S.)
2. Interrogative Sentences:
I asked my sister what she was doing then. (I.S.)
I said my sister, ―What are you doing now?‖. (D.S.)
The teacher asked the boy why he was late. (I.S.)
The teacher said to the boy, ―Why are you late?‖. (D.S.)
Johncy asked Rosy if she had done the problem the day before. (I.S.)
Johncy said to Rosy, ―Did you do the problem yesterday?‖. (D.S.)
3. Imperative Sentences:
She requested me to lend her my Atlas. (I.S.)
She asked to me, ―Please lend me your Atlas‖. (D.S.)
The conductor told the man to give the old lady his seat. (I.S.)
The conductor said to the man, ―Give the old lady your seat‖. (D.S.)
4. Exclamatory Sentences:
He exclaimed that it was a very strange idea. (I.S.)
He said, ―What a strange idea!‖. (D.S.)
She exclaimed that the house was very lovely. (I.S.)
She said, ―How lovely the house is!‖. (D.S.)
PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a word in the sentence and the
word that is the object of the preposition.
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
A prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition, a noun or pronoun
object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object. A preposition sits in front of (is
―pre-positioned‖ before) its object.
Sometimes the answers to those questions take more than one word. Often those phrases are
prepositional phrases.
Which one: The flower in the vase is a peony.
What kind: The umbrella with the polka-dots is Mary Anne's.
Where: We will be going to the movies.
When: My lunch period is after science.
How: You are walking on your tiptoes.
Commonly Used Prepositional Phrases
Across many deserts
After many tries
Amid the confusion
Around the world
Before we start the meeting
Between a rock and a hard place
By the light of the moon
Like a beautiful swan
Near the ocean
Of my boss
Off the top
AS IF (Page 157)
Clauses that start with as if / as though describe an unreal or improbable situation if they are
followed by an unreal tense (the past subjunctive or the past perfect subjunctive). Otherwise,
they express that the statement is true.
The past subjunctive after as if / as though indicates an unreal situation in the present.
However, if the situation is true, we use a real tense to express present time:
He looks as if he knew the answer. (he gives the impression that he knows the answer, but he
(probably) doesn't know or we don't know whether he knows or not)
He looks as if he knows the answer. (he knows the answer)
If we put the verb preceding as if / as though into the past tense, the present
simple knowschanges into past simple, whereas the past subjunctive knew stays the same.
Therefore, both sentences will read as follows:
He looked as if he knew the answer.
Consequently, the meaning of this sentence (whether he knew the answer or not) can only be
deduced from the context.
The past perfect subjunctive after as if / as though is used to refer to an unreal past situation.
If the situation is true, we use a real tense to express past time:
He seems as if he hadn't slept for days. (it seems that he hasn't slept for days, but he
(probably) has or we don't know whether he has or not)
He seems as if he hasn't slept for days. (he hasn't slept for days)
If the preceding verb is put into the past tense, the present perfect hasn't slept changes into
past perfect, while the past perfect subjunctive hadn't slept stays the same:
He seemed as if he hadn't slept for days.
SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT-CONCORD-( Page 114)
1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the
background of the concept. In these examples the subject is underlined and the verb is in
italics
The dog growls when he is angry.
The dogs growl when they are angry.
2. Don‘t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not
affect agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When sentences start with ―there‖ or ―here,‖ the subject will always be placed after the
verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly.
There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you requested.
5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify
the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
Where are the pieces of this puzzle?
6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same person or
thing.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular.
No smoking or drinking is allowed. Every man and woman is required to check in.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor,"
"either/or," and "not only/but also" the verb is singular.
Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
10. The only time when the object of the preposition factors into the decision of plural or
singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more,"
or "all" are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these sentences, the object of the
preposition determines the form of the verb.
All of the chicken is gone. All of the chickens are gone.
11. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.
Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor,"
"either/or," and "not only/but also" the verb is plural.
Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.
13. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words "or,"
"nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," and "not only/but also", you use the verb form of the subject
that is nearest the verb.
Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo. Neither the lion nor the bears have
escaped from the zoo.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs. *
Everybody wants to be loved.
15. * Except for the pronouns "few," "many," "several," "both," "all," and "some" that always
take the plural form.
Few were left alive after the flood.
16. If two infinitives are separated by "and" they take the plural form of the verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form of the
verb; but, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea. Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my
hobbies.
18. Collective nouns like "herd," "senate," "class," and "crowd," usually take a singular verb
form.
The herd is stampeding.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
EXPRESSIONS USED IN CONVERSATIONS(Page 126)
Refer page 126,127
IDIOMS Page (85,86)
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a culturally understood meaning that differs
from what its composite words' denotations would suggest.
Once in a blue moon:
Meaning-Something that happens very rarely
Sentence- Once in a blue moon, the blue jay can be seen in these parts of the forest.
2. Beating around the bush:
Meaning-Avoiding the main topic
Sentence-The President was beating around the bush when the citizens demanded a reason
for the forgery of legal documents.
3. Chip on your shoulder:
Meaning-When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago
Sentence-He has a chip on his shoulder for being abandoned by his parents in his childhood.
4. Cry over spilt milk:
Meaning-Complaining about a loss or failure from the past
Sentence-He was mad because he couldn‘t clear the cut off due to a silly mistake. But, then
he realized there was no use crying over spilt milk and decided to become more careful.
5. Spill the beans:
Meaning-To disclose a secret
Sentence-The little one spilled the beans about the surprise vacation we had planned.
6. Piece of cake:
Meaning-Something that is easy to understand or do
Sentence-I thought that the problem would be tough, but it turned out to be a piece of cake!
7. Blessing in disguise:
Meaning-Something good and useful that did not initially seem that way
Sentence-His accident was a blessing in disguise because it gave him a lot of time to think
about his life while he was recovering, and as a result, he made some important decisions that
improved his life.
8. Come hell or high water:
Meaning-Possible obstacles in your path (will not stop you)
Sentence-I have decided that come hell or high water I will become an engineer.
9. Taste of your own medicine:
Meaning-When someone receives the same treatment, usually negative, that he/she gives to
others
Sentence-She is always taunting others and hurting their sentiments. I just wish someone
would give her a taste of her own medicine.
10. Golden handshake:
Meaning-A big sum of money given to a person when he/she leaves a company or retires
Sentence-The management of the company wanted to decrease their workforce. They offered
a golden handshake to their aged employees.
11. Mean business:
Meaning-Being serious/dedicated
Sentence-The border is sealed by troops who mean business.
12. Apple of one‘s eye:
Meaning-Being cherished more than others are
Sentence-Sam is adored by his teacher for his childlike nature. He is the apple of her eye.
13. The best of both worlds:
Meaning-The benefits of widely differing situations, enjoyed at the same time.
Sentence-I had the best of both worlds since I worked as an ordinary member of the team but
got to learn from the leaders.
14. Feeling a bit under the weather:
Meaning-Feeling slightly ill
Sentence-I may not be able to jog today, as I am feeling a bit under the weather.
15. Icing on the cake:
Meaning-Something that turns good into great
Sentence-India‘s victory over England on India‘s Independence Day was like icing on the
cake.
16. Cost an arm and a leg:
Meaning-Be very expensive
Sentence-His laziness made him miss his flight to Chandigarh. The next ticket cost him an
arm and a leg.
17. Jump the bandwagon:
Meaning-To join a popular activity or trend
Sentence-When he was detected with diabetes, he quickly jumped on the bandwagon and
joined the Zumba dance class.
18. Ball is in your court:
Meaning-When it is up to you to make the next decision or step.
Sentence-Now the ball is in your court; decide whether you want to reply or not.
19. Bite off more than you can chew:
Meaning-To take up a task which you may not be able to accomplish due to lack of ability.
Sentence-I bit off more than I could chew when I decided to take up the 300-page research
project.
20. Can‘t judge a book by its cover:
Meaning-Cannot judge something primarily on appearance.
Sentence-The house looked impressive in the advertisement. Still I made a trip to the house to
check everything. It is wise not to judge a book by its cover.
21. Hear it on grapevine:
Meaning-To hear rumors about something or someone
Sentence-I heard it on grapevine that he had stiffed an old man asking for his pension.
22. It takes two to tango:
Meaning-Actions or communications need more than one person
Sentence-Even though I thought I would be fired after the altercation with my manager,
thankfully upper management realized that it takes two to tango.
23. Last straw:
Meaning-The final problem in a series of problems
Sentence-My body was already in bad shape. The accident was the last straw. I am now on
complete bed rest.
24. To be in the doldrums:
Meaning-To be in low spirits
Sentence-Sam was in the doldrums after he was insulted by the boss in front of his
colleagues.
25. To sit on the fence:
Meaning-To remain neutral
Sentence-Since I wasn‘t aware of the details, I decided to sit on the fence during the
argument between my cousins.
26. Break the ice:
Meaning-To initiate a social conversation or interaction
Sentence-At the start of the lecture, the new professor tried to break the ice by telling a joke.
27. A bird‘s eye view:
Meaning-A view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area
Sentence-The Singapore Big Wheel offers a bird‘s eye view of the city.
28. A litmus test:
Meaning-A method that helps to know if something is correct
Sentence-Taking up the job served as a litmus test for me to know how good I was at
applying my knowledge.
29. At the drop of a hat:
Meaning-Willingness to do something instantly
Sentence-She expects me to make dinner at the drop of a hat even if I am very busy with
office work.
30. Afraid of one‘s own shadow:
Meaning-To become easily frightened
Sentence-Her creepy encounter with the supernatural had a devastating effect on her. She is
now afraid of her own shadow.
31. A house of cards:
Meaning-A poor plan
Sentence-The State‘s new scheme was initially welcomed, but later turned out to be a house
of cards when it was discovered how easy it was to perpetrate a scam.
32. Black and blue:
Meaning-Full of bruises
Sentence-The young lad was all black and blue after a tiff with a raging senior.
33. Be on cloud nine:
Meaning-Be very happy
Sentence-I will be on cloud nine when my first article gets published.
34. Bone of contention:
Meaning-A subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement
Sentence-The examination system has long been a serious bone of contention in the HRD
Ministry.
35. Eat humble pie:
Meaning-To apologize humbly
Sentence-He will have to eat humble pie for the disrespect shown to the Captain.
36. Fool‘s paradise:
Meaning-False sense of happiness or success
Sentence-They were living in a fool‘s paradise, refusing to accept that they were facing
poverty.
37. Give cold shoulder:
Meaning-To ignore
Sentence-I sent her a message to apologize for my misbehavior, but she gave me the cold
shoulder.
38. Get a raw deal:
Meaning-To not be treated as well as other people
Sentence-The fact is that students in government schools get a raw deal.
39. Hit the nail on the head:
Meaning-To do the correct thing
Sentence-She hit the nail on the head when she laid out a list of justifiable grievances she had
with the company.
40. Hand to mouth:
Meaning-live on only basic necessities
Sentence-The severe drought led the farmers to live hand to mouth.
41. Hit the bull‘s eye:
Meaning-To be exactly right about something or achieve the best result possible.
Sentence-The detective hit the bull‘s eye when he figured out that nobody but the doctor
could have had access to the poison.
42. Let the cat out of the bag:
Meaning-To reveal the secret carelessly or by mistake
Sentence-Now that she had let the cat out of the bag, she had no option but to confess.
43. Make a face:
Meaning-To show dislike or disappointment through facial expressions
Sentence-Little Stella made a face at the sight of bitter gourd in her food.
44. Open Pandora‘s Box:
Meaning-To find a source of great troubles and problems
Sentence-Finding the wallet on the road opened up a Pandora‘s box. I was arrested for
stealing when I went to report it at the police station.
45. It‘s Greek to me
Meaning-Something that is not understandable
Sentence-I failed my commerce test; it was all Greek to me!
46. Don‘t put all your eggs in one basket:
Meaning-Do not put all your resources in one basket.
Sentence-The boy put all his money into his dream startup that eventually failed. I had told
him not to put all his eggs in one basket.
47. To call a spade a spade:
Meaning-To be brutally frank, outspoken, blunt in speech.
Sentence- Let‘s call a spade a spade – popular he may be, but that man is a liar.
48. To be a Good Samaritan:
Meaning-To be kind and compassionate to someone in distress
Sentence-I was sure I would be stuck on the highway till the morning, but a Good Samaritan
offered me a ride home.
49. To put in a nutshell:
Meaning-To say in a few words or to make something concise
Sentence-The Textbook Development Committee decided to put the 30-page chapter in a
nutshell to help save time for students during revision.
50. To pour oil on troubled waters:
Meaning-To make peace
Sentence-I am always stuck pouring oil on troubled waters when my mother and wife start
their bickering.
51. To move heaven and earth:
Meaning-To exert all efforts
Sentence-He moved heaven and earth to ensure that his family was taken care of in the
foreign land in his absence.
Phrasal Verb(Page 87)
A phrasal verb is a phrase that‘s made up of a verb and another word or two, usually
a preposition but sometimes an adverb.
Some commonly used phrasal verbs in English
Below are some of the most common phrasal verbs in the English language.
Bring
Bring up — To mention something. (Note: The two parts of this phrasal verb can be
separated.)
“Mark was sick and had to miss the party, so please don‟t bring it up, I don‟t want him to
feel bad for missing it.”
Bring on — To cause something to happen, usually something negative. (The two parts of
this phrasal verb can be separated by what‘s happening.)
“His lung cancer was brought on by years of smoking.”
Bring it on! — To accept a challenge with confidence.
“You want to have a race? Bring it on! I can beat you!”
Call
Call on — This can mean either to visit someone, or to use someone‘s or something‘s
knowledge.
To visit someone: “I‟ll call on you this evening to see how you‟re feeling.”
To use someone‘s knowledge: “I may need to call on the university‟s excellent professors in
order to answer your question.”
Call off — To cancel something.
“The picnic was called off because of the rain.”
Cheer
Cheer on — To support someone by giving them words of encouragement. (Can be
separated by the name or pronoun of the person/people being cheered on).
“Even though Samantha was in the last place, her brother cheeredher on through the entire
race.”
Cheer up — This phrase can either be used as a phrase of encouragement said to someone
who seems sad (just saying ―cheer up!‖ to them), or it can mean to try to make someone
happier.
“Andrew was having a bad day, so his girlfriend cheered him up by taking him out for ice
cream.”
Come
Come up (with something) — To think of an idea.
“I came up with this idea for a TV show about a woman living with her best friend and
daughter. I call it „Two and a Half Women.‟”
Come up — To bring up a topic, or when something happens unexpectedly.
To bring up a topic: “I wanted to tell her that I got a new job but the chance never came up.”
Unexpected occurrence: “I was going to meet my friends for dinner, but
something came up so I had to cancel.”
Come in — To enter.
“„Come in, the door is open!‟ said the grandmother to the wolf.”
Come across — To meet or find by chance.
“I was cleaning the attic and I came across my high school uniform. Can you believe it still
fits?”
Come forward — To volunteer information about something, like a crime.
“The police are encouraging people to come forward with any information about the
kidnapped girl.”
Cut
Cut off — This phrase can be used in several ways, but its general meaning is ―to interrupt or
stop something.‖ (Can be separated.)
While driving, to get in front of another car suddenly: “That red car just cut me off and I
almost crashed into it.”
To stop supplying things to or communicating with someone: “His father is rich but
he cut him off without any money of his own.”
Cut (it) out — This phrase has the same meaning as saying ―Stop it.‖
“Hey, cut it out! I was watching that movie, so stop changing the channel!”
Cut in — To interrupt someone when they are speaking.
“I was about to ask that girl on a date, but her friend cut in and I lost the chance.”
Drop
Drop by/in — To stop by for a visit, for a short time.
“Andrew is such a great boyfriend, when he heard that his girlfriend had a cold he dropped
by to bring her some soup.”
Drop off — To leave something or someone in their destination. (Can be separated by the
object being dropped off.)
“I can give you a ride and drop you off at work.”
Fall
Fall apart — This phrase means ―to break into pieces,‖ but it can be used to talk about things
that are not physical, like a marriage or a person.
“They tried to save their marriage by going to therapy but in the end if fell apart anyway.”
Fall down — To drop to the ground, usually by accident.
“My friend slipped on a banana peel and fell down. I thought that only happened
in cartoons!”
Fill
Fill (someone) in — To give someone the details about something. (Is usually separated by
the person getting filled in).
“Quickly, let‟s go! There‟s no time to explain, I‟ll fill you in on the way.”
Fill up — To become completely full.
“The little girl filled up on candy before dinner, and didn‟t want to eat any of the chicken.”
Get
Get away — To escape. You may have heard the phrase ―getaway car.‖ That‘s the car used
by criminals to run away from a crime scene, like a bank robbery.
“Carmen‟s neighbor tried to show her pictures of all her cats, but Carmen managed to get
away.”
Get around — To solve a problem by avoiding the main issue. This phrase can also be used
very informally to refer to someone who has many sexual partners. As you can imagine, it‘s
not very nice to say that someone ―gets around‖!
“Some people know all the different ways to get around tax laws.”
Get along (with) — To have a friendly relationship with someone.
“Some people are surprised that I get along with my mother-in-law really well!”
Get up — To stand up, or to wake up.
“I have so much trouble getting up in the morning that I have to set three alarms.”
Get back to — To return to someone or something. This phrase is often used to say that you
will return with an answer to a question or a request at a later time.
“Derek‟s coworker wasn‟t sure what time the meeting was, so he said he‟d get back to him
with the time.”
Get back at — To get revenge on someone.
“Her ex-husband took her house so she got back at him by taking his dogs.”
Give
Give out — This phrase can mean to break down or stop working, or to hand out or distribute
something.
To stop working: “The city had to rebuild the bridge completely, because it was about
to give out and fall down.”
To distribute: “He has a lot of contacts because he gives out his business card to everyone he
meets.”
Give in — To surrender, especially in a fight or argument.
“Ben‟s mother gave in and let him stay out late with his friends.”
Give away — To hand things out for free. (Can be separated by the item being given away.)
“When Linda‟s cat had kittens, she gave them all away to good homes.”
Give up — To stop trying, surrender.
“After two weeks of trying to build my own table, I gave up and just bought one.”
Go
Go out (with) — To go on a date with someone.
“Sarah was so happy when Peter finally asked her to go out with him!”
Go ahead — To go in front of someone, or to give permission to do or say something.
“Go ahead, explain to me why there is a car on my roof.”
Grow
Grow up — To grow up, sometimes used to tell someone to stop acting childish.
“Some people tell Steve he needs to grow up, but he loves acting like a child.”
Grow apart — To get distant from someone, like a friend.
“When my friend moved to a different country I tried to stay close with her, but we
slowly grew apart.”
Hang
Hang on — To keep something.
“When everyone else was getting fired, Paul managed to hang on to his job.”
Hang out — To spend time with someone, casually.
“My friends and I used to hang out in the park after school.”
Hang up — To end a call on the phone, especially if it‘s before the other person is ready.
“I was in the middle of a sentence, and he hung up on me! How rude.”
Hold
Hold on — To hold something tightly. This phrase can also be a way of asking someone to
wait for a moment.
“You‟d better hold on to your hat, it‟s windy out there!”
Hold back — To stop yourself from doing or saying something.
“Amy has a great voice but whenever she‟s singing in public she feels shy and holds back.”
Log
Log in (to) — Used with computers, this phrase means to sign into your account on a website
or computer.
“Don‟t forget to log in to your FluentU account to learn English better and faster.”
Log out/off — Also used with computers, this phrase means to sign out of your account.
“You should always log out of your accounts when you use a public computer.”
Look
Look up — To check the meaning of something. (Can be separated by the item being looked
up).
“If you don‟t know the meaning of a word, you should look it up in the dictionary.”
Look out — To watch out for something.
“Look out, there‟s a baseball coming your way!”
Pay
Pay back — To give someone back money that you owe them. (Can be separated by the
person getting paid back.) When it‘s written as one word, ―payback‖ means revenge.
“Thanks for getting me lunch when I forgot my wallet at home! I‟ll payyou back tomorrow.”
Pay for — This phrase can either mean to give someone money for a particular purpose (like
paying for a new car), or to suffer because of something you did.
“He‟ll pay for all the problems he caused me by being late today!”
Put
Put out — This phrase can mean to extinguish a fire, or to irritate someone by asking them
for a favor. (In the case of annoying someone, can be separated by the person getting
annoyed.) Be aware that in very informal slang, this phrase has a more offensive meaning.
To extinguish a fire: “The firefighters managed to put out the fire before it spread to other
houses.”
To irritate someone: “I‟d ask you to make me dinner but I don‟t want to put you out.”
Put on — To get your clothes or makeup on.
“Every morning she puts on her dress, lipstick, shoes and hat—in that order.”
Take
Take off — This phrase can mean to remove clothing, or to leave for a journey (i.e.
planes take off when they begin their flights).
“She was very happy when she finally got home and took off her shoes. They had been
hurting her feet all day!”
Take out — To remove something, like from a pocket or a bag. This phrase can also mean to
take someone on a date. (Can be separated by the item or person being taken out.) The phrase
can also mean to remove someone, as in by killing them—but this is probably not something
you would need to use in everyday conversation!
To remove something: “The children sat at their desks and took out their pens and paper.”
To take someone on a date: “He took her out to the most expensive restaurant in the city.”
Turn
Turn on/off — To switch a machine or light on or off.
“Turn off the light, I‟m trying to sleep!”
Turn around — To move so that you‘re facing the opposite direction.
“Sally was about to get on the plane, but she turned around when someone called her
name.”
Turn up — When someone that was lost is found unexpectedly.
“Anything I lose usually turns up under the couch. It‟s my cat‟s favourite hiding place.”
Warm
Warm up (to) — To start liking someone or something more as you spend more time with
them, especially if you didn‘t really like them in the beginning.
“The new puppy was scared of my husband when we first got him, but he warmed up to him
pretty quickly.”
Work
Work out — To exercise.
“I try to work out every morning, by repeatedly lifting a heavy donut to my mouth.”
Work (something) out — To come up with a solution or a compromise with someone.
“Don‟t worry, I‟m sure we can work something out so that everyone is happy.”
No comments:
Post a Comment